Convicts in the Wajiha Swati murder case photographed outside a Rawalpindi court on Saturday— DawnNewsTV

 

US National Wajiha Swati’s Ex-Husband Sentenced to Death for Her Murder
By Tahir Naseer

A Rawalpindi court handed down a death sentence and ten years of imprisonment on Saturday to the ex-husband of US national of Pakistani origin, Wajiha Swati, after finding him guilty in her murder case.

Rizwan Habib Bangash had  confessed  last December to killing his former wife — 47-year-old Wajiha Farooq Swati — and burying her body at his servant’s house in Lakki Marwat. Swati had  gone missing  after arriving in Rawalpindi on Oct 16, 2021 and her body was  exhumed  by police on December 25.

A  missing person’s complaint  following Swati’s disappearance was filed by Abdullah Mehdi Ali, a resident of Hayatabad Peshawar, who identified himself as the woman’s son.

By January 4, 2022, police had  arrested  six accused in the murder case, including Hurriatullah, the father of Bangash, and Sultan, his servant. The five accused apart from Bangash were charged with aiding and abetting the murder.

At the Saturday’s hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, sentenced Hurriatullah and Sultan to seven years in prison each. The other three suspects, namely Yousuf, Zahida and Rashid, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

A team of US investigators also attended the hearing.

According to police, it  had emerged  during the investigation that Swati was demanding back her property worth millions of rupees, which she had transferred in the name of Bangash before their divorce.